THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Mildred Pierce Restaurant Review

: Named after the film noir classic, this unpretentious neighborhood restaurant has all the warmth and cheer its namesake lacks. Where the Joan Crawford vehicle was an exercise in familial cruelty and ingratitude, Mildred Pierce, the restaurant, is a sunny spot that serves simple American meals with a little flare and a lot of heart. Dinners tend to be straightforward, such as the hanger steak with wild rice and potatoes and the cavatappi with chicken, a hearty treat packed with big, corkscrew pasta, chunks of peppered chicken, sharp reggiano cheese, and a smoky pesto sauce. Dinners can be uneven, but we swear by Mildred Pierce's breakfast, which includes basics such as a succulent corned beef hash, fluffy buttermilk cakes, crunchy waffles and bacon and eggs. The eggs Benedict is a revelation. Serano ham, Spain's answer to proscuitto, substitutes for Canadian bacon, which gives the dish a finer texture and a salty bite that is not to be missed.